This invention is generally concerned with document singulating apparatus and more particularly with singulating apparatus including opposed, oppositely moving belts for singulating successive documents fed thereto.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,764 for a Front End Feeder For Mail Handling Machine, issued June 5, 1990 to Holbrook et al, belt structure has been provided for separating successive sheets from the bottom of a stack and feeding the sheets downstream to sheet singulating structure which includes opposed belts moving in opposite directions. And, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,499 for Mail Singulating Apparatus, issued Mar. 20, 1990 to O'Brien et al, which includes a more detailed discussion of singulating structure of the type shown in the Holbrook et al patent, mailpiece singulating structure has been provided wherein oppositely moving upper and lower belts have been interleaved to form a nip for separating successive lowermost mailpieces from mailpieces stacked thereon.
Thus it is generally known in the art to provide belt structures for separating successive mailpieces from the bottom of a stack and forming a nip of interleaved belts for separating successive lowermost mailpieces from others stacked thereon. Accordingly:
An object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for singulating documents, including for example mailpieces;
Another object is to provide improved apparatus for singulating documents fed thereto, wherein the respective documents are uprightly oriented on an edge thereof and have oppositely facing upright surfaces; an
Yet another object is to provide improved document singulating apparatus including first and second interleaved belts runs.